Blackfoot wrote:More and more teams play small ball. But it's not really small ball. Bogut playing center masks any disadvantages we have there. And Barnes is a better defender than Lee so going smaller doesn't actually hurt us defensively or rebounding (Barnes jumps ****ing high and Bogut gets most of the rebounds.) I'd say this small ball line up is the most viable line up of all the small ball line ups. Especially if it consists of Bogut.

That's a reach. I doubt Barnes can defend and rebound vs legitimate PF's. At the end of the day, he's still a SF trying to play PF. You put Lee on the block and you got multiple options. He can create for himself with a number of crafty post moves for a high percentage shot, or create for teammates. Can Barnes do that? Nope.

Well, that's the thing, even if he can't defend PF's, it's better defense than Lee.

I think more and more teams plays small ball because there is a lack of quality bigs throughout the league, especially at the center position. And I'm not sure how anyone can say that this team would of finished with a better record without Lee's 18.5 points, 11 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game because thats what their implying when they say this team is better without Lee.

Never before has the center position had to rely so heavily on abstract advanced statistics in an attempt to illustrate value. Gone are the days of 20-10-3 centers. There remain 2 or 3 of them in total; of which, one per year is healthy. The centers today are worse than they were in the 80's, the 90's, and even the 2000's. Take the 10th best center from those eras and they're the best 5 in the league today. Vlade Divac would be more valuable today than Dwight Howard. Fact.

I believe centers are just an evolving position, but it is still certainly a good position. However, no where near as good as it was, but that's to be expected. That was the golden age of centers. We are now in the golden age of PG's and eventually another position will be the best. It's all a cycle. SG won't be a dead position forever.

In twenty years people will look back on this era and go "What happened to the PG position" I bet.

Blackfoot wrote:I believe centers are just an evolving position, but it is still certainly a good position. However, no where near as good as it was, but that's to be expected. That was the golden age of centers. We are now in the golden age of PG's and eventually another position will be the best. It's all a cycle. SG won't be a dead position forever.

In twenty years people will look back on this era and go "What happened to the PG position" I bet.

I can't believe that we're talking about trading Lee already. The guy showed leadership and heart by even attempting to play in the San Antonio series. He's this team's only All-Star since when? Latrell Sprewell?

It's not that I don't like Lee or think he wasn't a guy with heart etc...

Its what this team needs, which is a traditional post player, who doesn't want to shoot jumpers and who wants to bang inside and create spacing on the floor since this team has a lot of shooters already.

As far as All-Stars, the reality was that Steph should have been the All-Star, not David, but since most of the guard positions are stacked with real superstars like Kobe and CP3 etc, no way Steph could get in as easily.

As for the list of potential replacements: Derrick Favors is on top of my list. If Demarcus Cousins runs out of get out of jail free cards in Sacto, I'd easily take him as well. Greg Monroe, no way Detroit lets him go.Anderson Varejao, kid is not a true post player, just a good rebounder.Brandon Bass is David Lee part deux, a jump shooter that has no post moves.Nikola Vucevic, I like, but we need more than him in a trade for David Lee.Jeff Green- NO way Boston lets him go.

JebronLames wrote:It's not that I don't like Lee or think he wasn't a guy with heart etc...

Its what this team needs, which is a traditional post player, who doesn't want to shoot jumpers and who wants to bang inside and create spacing on the floor since this team has a lot of shooters already.

As far as All-Stars, the reality was that Steph should have been the All-Star, not David, but since most of the guard positions are stacked with real superstars like Kobe and CP3 etc, no way Steph could get in as easily.

As for the list of potential replacements: Derrick Favors is on top of my list. If Demarcus Cousins runs out of get out of jail free cards in Sacto, I'd easily take him as well. Greg Monroe, no way Detroit lets him go.Anderson Varejao, kid is not a true post player, just a good rebounder.Brandon Bass is David Lee part deux, a jump shooter that has no post moves.Nikola Vucevic, I like, but we need more than him in a trade for David Lee.Jeff Green- NO way Boston lets him go.

ESPN wrote articles on both the warriors and kings yesterday. Although they didn't mention the other team on each article, they did mention on one article that the warriors should explore trading Lee, while the other article discussed the Kings trading Cousins.

Cousins could be the next Z-Bo and Rasheed. Rough NBA start, but bouced around a couple times to find his calling. Definately would see his mental state first.

The team has great team chemistry right now and that is one of the most important things. Cousins is a headcase and I want nothing to do with him.

It's Lee and filler for Love or nothing really. Sure, a great post player would be good, but Lee scores in the post quite well and it's his other attributes that add up to him being the best PF this season, like his shooting, passing and good attitude. Love has those as well and would fit in.

I know this might come as a shock. But it might be a good idea to keep the players that got you to the 6th seed. lol. We win one series vs the likes of Wilson Chandler, and all of a sudden Lee's replaceable. smh. Check the other blogs... I'm sorry but these guys are idiots to trade D Lee for anything less than a proven all star PF in his prime (like Lee is).

rockyBeli wrote:I know this might come as a shock. But it might be a good idea to keep the players that got you to the 6th seed. lol. We win one series vs the likes of Wilson Chandler, and all of a sudden Lee's replaceable. smh. Check the other blogs... I'm sorry but these guys are idiots to trade D Lee for anything less than a proven all star PF in his prime (like Lee is).

+1, Rock. Way to keep it into perspective.

The Spurs beat the Warriors by bum rushing their guards and daring the front court to beat them in isolation... So the solution is to trade our best offensive front court player? That's like curing a rash with poison oak.

Leave Lee alone. If we'd had him, the Spurs' strategy of doubling the backcourt and letting Tony Parker guard the PF - which was mostly Harrison Barnes - is effectively destroyed. Lee makes everyone else better offensively; he's the anti-Bogut, who has a similar effect on defense.

Lee being expendable is the truth if you wanna go out in the semi-finals next year. This playoff roster plus 40 minutes a game from their all-star forward equals a WAY better matchup with Memphis in the conference finals. Think about that. Without Lee, we went out helplessly to Sam Antonio. With him, there's an outside chance we'd be fighting for a spot in the NBA finals this week.

The logic of you people wanting to deal Lee is beyond me... Especially since I'm the "crazy one" willing to trade Thompson for the right price. Whose more to blame for the second round exit: Lee, who blew out a hip flexor, or Thompson who showed up for 1 game out of 6?